


If Morning Never Comes to Be

by bakerblake



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Superheroes, Titanic - Freeform, Titanic AU, marinette is ladybug and adrien is chat noir etc, powers, they just happen to live in the 1910's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-03
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-28 00:04:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10058066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakerblake/pseuds/bakerblake
Summary: "Don't do anything too reckless.”"Me? Reckless? My lady, you know I'd never do anything reckless", he joked.She gave him a warning glare before crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm serious, Chat. This situation is different. I don't want you to get hurt.“He knew she was dead serious.*・*☆.。*.☆゜・*It is the year 1912. The glorious Titanic is sinking. How lucky that Ladybug and Chat Noir are always there to save the day, right?





	1. Inevitable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen Titanic once.  
> When I was 12.  
> So hopefully this won't be TOO similar.

_You have me. Until every last star in the galaxy dies. You have me._

_-Amie Kaufman_

 

Marinette would be lying if she said she had not been at least a little worried about leaving Paris. Papillon could decide to attack at any time and who knew what would happen without Ladybug. Thankfully though, Chat Noir was still there and he was more than capable of handling the situation while she was gone. He would keep the city safe. This just meant that she would have to purify a ton of butterflies and work twice as hard when she got back, but that was okay. This trip would be worth it.

At least that's how she felt when they stepped aboard the ship and she saw the brilliant smile that lit up Adrien Agreste's whole face. His spring green eyes were sparkling, making even the stars jealous, and Marinette couldn't help but sigh dreamily. If the love of her life was happy, so was she.

Adrien had apparently had an extremely rough year – according to Nino – and he was constantly tired and exhausted. He had even fallen asleep once or twice at his workstation. It was no secret that Adrien and his father didn't get along and it was obvious to those close to him that their relationship had got even worse. Marinette, Nino and Alya had all been very worried about his health, both physical and mental.

So, on Adrien’s 20th birthday, Nino had proposed that they'd go on a vacation together, just the four of them. Hoping it would take Adrien's mind off things that were bothering him, things that kept him up at night, Alya and Marinette agreed to Nino’s plan.

To their surprise, Adrien had immediately been very excited about the trip. His father on the other hand... not so much. Mr Agreste even tried to forbid it by telling his son that he was going nowhere. For once in his life Adrien had not listened.

So there they were almost 6 months later, on a crazy trip to America. The plan was to spend a month in New York and then return to Paris. Nino admitted that this wasn't exactly the kind of vacation he had had in mind, but Adrien being Adrien had insisted that they'd travel with style. The tickets were expensive, more expensive than Marinette could ever even afford, but Adrien had paid for everything. He had told them that a first-class suite aboard the Titanic was the only correct way to cross the Atlantic. Go big or go home.

And it was lovely, it truly was. Marinette enjoyed every moment, every second of it. They slept late, ate more ice cream than they probably should have and had terrible singing competitions in their cabin every night. Never in her life had Marinette laughed so much, except maybe with Chat Noir. Everything was perfect, she could not have asked for more.

The trip was an adventure for them, a new experience. They were young, they were free, nothing could stop them.

On the first night, Alya came to her and told her with a sly smirk that now was her chance to woo Adrien. She could finally make him fall madly in love with her and maybe her imaginary wedding would actually come to pass. Easier said than done, but nobody was as determined or as motivated as Marinette was. With the help of her friend, she kind of tricked Adrien into spending more quality time with her alone. He didn't seem to mind. Being away from his father made Adrien more carefree, and Marinette didn't stutter as much around him as she used to. They talked, they laughed and she found out that his sense of humour was quite unusual.

She liked it.

Alya's plan might not have worked on Adrien but it certainly worked on Marinette herself. After only four days, if possible, Marinette had fallen even more in love with him. She hoped that his feelings for her were growing, too.

She also supposed she should have told Chat that she was leaving, but she just didn't get a chance to see him before they left Paris, thanks to the lack of akuma attacks. Marinette had faith in her partner, she knew he'd be fine, but that didn't mean she didn't worry.

On the third day, when she got to dance with Adrien, all of her fears and thoughts of Chat magically vanished. Staring at her crush's devastatingly beautiful face, Marinette could only focus on the invisible hearts that floated around her. There was no doubt in her mind that Adrien's last name would one day be Dupain-Cheng.

 

Unfortunately, their happiness didn't last long. The ship collided with an iceberg.

 

***

 

Chaos. No matter where she looked. Chaos and confusion and panic.

Marinette’s head was killing her, pounding like it was trying to crack her skull open. Her heart was beating so fast she felt like she might pass out any minute. The loud whispers and murmurs hurt her eardrums so bad she was surprised they weren't bleeding. 2000 people were screaming and crying simultaneously, everyone feared for their life.

The ship was quickly sinking. They had about an hour left to live. _Marinette_ had an hour left to save everyone.

She knew she needed to calm down and pull herself together, but everything was so overwhelming and scary that she couldn't even move. It was like her body weighed a ton. With blank eyes she just stared at the lifeboat in front of her. The cold ocean air had numbed her senses.

The floating, 'practically unsinkable' palace wasn't so unsinkable anymore.

Beside her, Adrien seemed extremely restless. He kept rocking back and forth, back and forth as he nervously played with his fingers. The boy glanced over his shoulder several times.

They let a mother and her three children go first before Alya and Nino hopped onto the lifeboat. Alya patted the seat beside her urgently, but Marinette hesitated. Adrien seemed to do the same.

Biting her lower lip, Marinette eyed the panicing people. She knew she had to find a place to transform, quickly. This ship was in desperate need of Ladybug.

There was a small troubled voice in her head, asking her how she thought she was going to do this without Chat Noir. Pushing the doubts firmly to the back of her mind, she finally found the courage to open her mouth. She cleared her throat, and Alya raised an eyebrow.

“I need to, uh, go to the bathroom”, Marinette mumbled, awkwardly shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “Right now.”

Alya's eyes widened and she looked at her like she was crazy. She grabbed her arm, keeping her in place.

”What the _hell_ , Marinette?”

”I'll be quick”, she promised and hoped that her smile was reassuring enough.

”No!”

Apparently it wasn't.

Marinette's face crashed. ”Oh, come on, Alya. I told you I'd be quick.”

Alya shook her head furiously and yanked her friend closer to the boat. ”Absolutely not, don't be stupid. Get in, _now_.“

Marinette bit her lip again, considering Alya's words for a moment. Then she pulled away from her grasp, turned around and ran in the opposite direction.

”Marinette? Marinette, please, no!”

Ignoring Alya's screams and desperate pleas, Marinette promised herself that she would see her best friends again. It was almost physically painful not to turn around when she heard Adrien cry her name.

An hour left, Marinette reminded herself. She didn't allow herself to look back.

 

***

 

To say that Ladybug was surprised when Chat Noir landed beside her right after she had transformed would have been an understatement. Chat seemed equally shocked. They both gasped loudly, taking a step back.

“Ladybug?”

“Chat Noir!”

For a few seconds, they couldn't help but gape at each other, both half-lost in their thoughts. Then Ladybug frowned.

If they were both there, then it meant that there was no one left to protect Paris now. This also raised many troubling questions about their identities because, as far as she knew, most passengers were British, not French...

While Ladybug worried about their home and secret identities, Chat rubbed his eyes a few times, stunned. Eventually, his cat ears perked up happily. A bright smile quickly spread across the boy's face and he threw his hands up in the air.

“Whoa, I can't believe this!” he cheered, waking Ladybug from her thoughts. “What a huge coincidence!”

Ladybug wrinkled her nose up at him, still troubled. There really wasn't any reason to celebrate.

“Why are you so happy?” she asked and looked at him disapprovingly. “There's nothing funny about this.”

“I'm always happy when I get to see you, my lady.”

“The ship is literally sinking in case you haven't noticed.”

Chat just grinned at her like everything was right with the world. Ladybug almost thought that the look on his face was adorable, but since the ship was, you know, _doomed_ , she decided to sigh instead. Later, when this was all over, Chat could grin as cutely as he wanted. Right now they had other things to deal with.

But the boy just wiggled his eyebrows at her as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It was almost like he didn't understand how serious the situation was.

"You know what this means, right? I bet most of the passengers aren’t French sooo...” He leaned closer and his sly smile only grew. ”I'm one step closer to finding out who you are.“

Again, Ladybug let out an exaggerated sigh, fighting the urge to scold him. Chat must have sensed her irritation because he quickly held up his hands in surrender.

"Hey, I'm just kidding”, he reassured her with a grin, but sounded a little disappointed. “I know how important it is that our identities stay safe and... and...”

He didn't get to finish. Ladybug surprised them both when, instead of nagging, she leaned forward to flick at the bell around his neck without warning. Chat looked taken aback, the small grin fading from his lips. Baffled, he blinked, mouth parting a little. It was Ladybug's turn to smirk.

“Maybe I'll do the same and find out your identity, too, kitty.” She winked.

 _Now is not the time for this, stop flirting!_ ordered an angry voice in her head. _You're wasting time!_

 _Excuse me, I'm not flirting with him!_ she yelled back at herself.

Chat coughed, human ears probably burning, but before he could open his mouth to respond, the ship heeled. The passengers' screams got louder. It was almost like an earthquake had hit them.

Ladybug threw her yoyo around the nearest pillar to keep herself steady, but Chat Noir wasn't as lucky. He lost his balance and started sliding towards the edge of the ship.

“Aah, Ladybug!”

Without any hesitation, Ladybug let go of the pillar, rushing after him. The ship moved again. She managed to catch his tail in time and pulled him with her to safety.

They could hear the water splashing. Every splash meant that another life was lost. The heroes were running out of time.

Ladybug landed on her feet, Chat Noir on his bottom. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to his feet.

“Ready?” she asked.

He threw her his signature Chat Noir grin, but this time it was shaky and did nothing to make her believe he was any more prepared for this than she was. She offered him a nervous smile in return.

Chat rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, uh, you remember Marinette Dupain-Cheng, don't you? From Paris?”

Ladybug's whole body tensed immediately when she heard her real name slip from her partner's lips. Her eyes widened. Quickly, she whirled around so that Chat couldn't see the surprise and shock on her face. Only one question echoed in her mind: _whatwhatWHAT_?

“What, um, about her?” She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice calm.

“Apparently, she's here”, Chat replied, looking around. His brows drew together. “Have you seen her? I, uh, saw her friends before I found you and they were really worried... Said that she ran off... I promised them I would make sure she was okay.”

Well, that was probably the last thing Ladybug expected to hear. Slowly, she turned back to her partner, the stunned look of surprise still on her face.

“Oh”, she mumbled lamely. Her partner seemed so worried about her civilian self that it was almost strange. It made _her_ feel strange because she actually found his concern quite touching. She bit the inside of her cheek. This also meant that Alya must have really feared for her safety...

The truth was that Marinette was safe and sound – at least for now – but Ladybug still had to lie a little. No need to worry Chat more.

“Ooohh, yes, Marinette, now I remember!” She waved her hand casually and showed him a big smile, teeth and all. “No need to worry, she's fine. In fact, uhhh, I helped her get on one of the lifeboats.”

With wide eyes, Chat gaped at her in astonishment. "What, really?“

She nodded and his eyes lit up. Chat smiled at her gratefully, and Ladybug felt like she was looking at the brightest star in the whole universe. Or the brightest kitten, whichever.

Placing his right hand over his heart, Chat let out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad she's safe.”

Ladybug was speechless. She had never seen Chat smile so tenderly, so fondly before. Who would have known that her civilian self could put that look on his face? Knowing that _Marinette_ was responsible for how happy he looked did funny things to her heart. She felt something within her melt. Chat’s smile was warm and glowing and so full of life that her cheeks automatically turned pink. Frozen in place, all she could do was stare at his lips.

 _Can we do this another time?_ her heart muttered quietly. _We really, really don't have time for blushing..._

Ladybug shook her head lightly, shushing the voice and her heart.

Chat pulled his baton out of his belt. "Anyway, you wouldn't happen to have a plan?“

"No, not yet”, she replied. She knew that he could read the frustration in her voice, frustration they both shared. The situation really did seem hopeless.

Ladybug looked down at her yoyo. She swallowed, not knowing what to do. A cold sweat was making her superhero suit stick to her body even tighter. She looked back up at Chat Noir.

Worry was plastered on his face as he stared at his baton. She missed his tender smile already.

How could something like this happen?

Chat met her gaze, face frighteningly pale. Ladybug wondered why she had not noticed the dark circles under his eyes before. Chat looked like he had aged ten years in only ten seconds. Nothing could explain the sadness she felt at seeing him like this.

“I want to be 100% sure that my family was allowed into a boat”, he said then, sounding tired all of a sudden. "They were, uh, waiting for their turn when I left to transform. It should only take a sec.“

Ladybug nodded but caught his wrist before he could leave. They stared at each other for a moment, Ladybug too scared to let go of him. A set of emotions flashed in his green eyes, but she was too busy being worried to catch any of them.

"Don't do anything too reckless”, she said finally and pursed her lips tightly together.

Chat just simply shook his head in response, a small smile on his lips. "Me? Reckless? My lady, you know I'd never do anything reckless", he joked.

She gave him a warning glare before letting go of his wrist. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm serious, Chat. This situation is different. I don't want you to get hurt.“

He knew she meant her words, knew she was dead serious.

Chat flashed her a quick smile and a two finger salute before dashing off. Ladybug took a deep breath when he disappeared from sight. Looking around the destruction, she considered her options, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her finger.

She knew that her friends were safe – or as safe as they could be. Still, it wouldn't hurt to go check on them, just to make sure everything was alright.

She was about to pull out her yoyo and head back to see Alya and the others when she heard loud sobbing. Ladybug frowned, turning her head towards the sound. Following it, she found its source a few moments later. A little girl, approximately 7 years old, was hiding under a table all alone. There was water on the floor and the hem of her purple dress was drenched.

"Hey there...” Ladybug knelt in front of the girl and helped her up gently.

Instantly, the girl wrapped her scrawny arms around the heroine's knees. Her whole body was shaking. Ladybug's brows knitted. She knew she had to get this girl somewhere safer as soon as possible.

“Where are your parents?” she asked and patted her head.

The girl did not answer. Instead, she turned her head to look at something behind her. Suddenly, tears started to pour down her face.

Concerned, Ladybug followed the girl's gaze to see what she was so upset about. Her eyes locked onto a female body that was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. She had no idea how it had happened but she knew without even checking the woman's pulse that she was gone.

Colour drained from Ladybug's face. She felt herself go cold.

The realness of the situation finally hit her. She wasn't dreaming. This was happening. This was real. People were dying and drowning, and for the first time in her life, Marinette felt completely useless as Ladybug. What if her powers couldn't save them this time? This wasn't Papillon's doing, this was merely a horrible accident that would unfortunately cost hundreds of lives, maybe even thousands.

Ladybug closed her eyes. She had to get rid of those thoughts. She and Chat were there to fix everything. They were there to save the day, to make sure the passengers survived. It was going to be alright.

She took a deep breath and smiled at the little girl as brightly as she could. "Hey, it's ok, I'll help you.“

The girl didn't smile back, but Ladybug couldn't really blame her.

A sudden explosion beneath them caused the ship to rock violently. Ladybug grabbed the girl and swung her yoyo to get them out of the way quickly. Glass shattered below them, and she tightened her grip on the shocked child. The whole ship was crumbling. Fire spread.

They landed on the deck and Ladybug pointed to the nearest lifeboat, panting heavily. "See that boat over there? It's your ticket to safety, okay?”

The girl turned to look at the lifeboat and nodded hesitantly.

“What's your name?” Ladybug asked and smiled gently, reminding herself that the kid had just lost her mother.

“Manon”, the girl whispered and sniffed. The night had turned bitterly cold and tears had frozen on her cheeks.

“Okay, Manon, listen carefully. I need you to –”

“Watch out!” came Chat Noir's voice.

Ladybug heard a crash, but before she could fully understand what was happening, the boy had already pushed her out of danger. They rolled on the floor, Chat ending up on top of her. He looked all over her, making sure she was still in one piece.

Not bothering to push Chat off her, Ladybug turned her head. One of the damaged pillars had collapsed and almost crushed her in the process. She was quite proud of him actually; for once he had saved her without taking the hit instead.

“I'm so glad you're alright, my lady.” Chat let out a relieved sigh.

Ladybug smiled up at him sweetly. She didn't want him to always worry needlessly. "Thank you, Ch...“

Her eyes widened, head snapping back to the fallen pillar. The little girl was nowhere to be seen.

She shoved Chat off and shot to her feet. Her breathing grew heavy again.

"Manon? Manon!” She called her name over and over, frantically trying to find her.

And eventually she did. In a pool of dark red, just like she had found the girl's mother.

At the first sight of blood, Ladybug covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle her gasp. Almost gagging, she had to take a step back. She felt sick to her stomach.

Then, anger built up inside her, replacing her shock. Her face turned from ghostly white to bright red as her whole body trembled violently. Tears welled up in her eyes. She turned to Chat, hands balled into fists.

“Why didn't you save her? I'm wearing a supersuit, I would have survived!” she screamed. " _Why didn't you save her_?“

Chat didn't look at her. Actually, if his cat ears had not been turned towards her, she would have thought that he had not heard her at all. The boy was silent and still, eyes glued to the small body that was lying on the floor. The look in his eyes was strangely empty, but even so, shock was evident on his face.

Ladybug swallowed hard. She had never seen him like this. He looked so _vulnerable_. She hated that she knew what he was thinking. He was thinking that this was his fault. That he deserved to be yelled at because he had killed this young girl. It was his fault that the tiny body was covered in red.

Ladybug felt a painful tug on her heartstrings. Before she knew it, she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck. Chat immediately hugged her back, squeezing his eyes shut. He was shaking.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you”, she whispered into his human ear, her own voice trembling, too. “It wasn't your fault. Please, forgive me."

For some reason her words struck a chord somewhere deep inside of the boy. His breath hitched in his throat as he burrowed his face into her hair. She did not expect him to start sobbing.

"Chat?” She pulled away, alarmed.

He didn't meet her eyes, just hid his face in his hands as heavy, uncontrollable sobs squeezed the breath from his lungs. Only when Ladybug put her hands firmly on his shoulders, he raised his gaze. His cheeks glistened with tears, and Ladybug’s heart ached.

Sniffing, Chat wrapped his arms around himself, cat ears flat against his head. He inhaled sharply.

“What are we going to do?” His voice was nothing but whisper. It was like someone had drained him of all energy.

Ladybug's touch was gentle as she cupped his face in her hands and showed him a sad smile. “We'll do the best we can for as long as we can. Okay?”

It took a few seconds, but eventually Chat nodded, albeit a little absently.

Suddenly, as the ship rumbled, becoming increasingly unstable, they heard angry yelling from the nearest lifeboat. The superheroes glanced at each other and nodded determinedly. They rushed towards the noise and found an officer in uniform who was trying to prevent third-class passengers from reaching the lifeboats. Ladybug grumbled beneath her breath.

The sight seemed to wake Chat from his guilt, too. He stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?” he asked quite sharply.

The passengers' faces lit up when they noticed the duo, but the officer was clearly annoyed. He glared at Chat.

“We do not have enough lifeboats for everyone and this one is already full!” the man explained, even though there was still room for at least ten people. “I'm just doing my job. Leave, this is none of your business.”

“We're talking about the safety of these people. Step aside, now”, Ladybug commanded, pointing a threatening finger at the officer.

“No! Are you two crazy? Can't you see the boat's _full_?”

At the last minute, right before the lifeboat was lowered into the sea, Chat shoved the officer out of the way and pushed a young girl and her little brother into the boat, saving their lives.

He shouldn't have done that.

But how could he have known the officer had a pistol?

In a way, it was almost comical how, all of a sudden, he could so clearly hear his own heartbeat echoing in his ears, reminding him of his mortality. His heart beat so fast that it seemed to want to escape his chest and flee the oncoming bullet. His suit was strong and protective, but not even magic could stop a bullet. Superheroes were invincible but they were not bulletproof.

Chat Noir didn't make a sound when the bullet pierced his chest. Fire soared through his body, but he stayed quiet.

All Ladybug heard was a loud _BANG_ , nothing else. No heartbeat, no echoes, no escape.

Her mind registered the gun surprisingly slow. Just when she was about to throw her yoyo at the officer, intending to rip the weapon from his hands, she saw the black of her partner’s suit get even darker. She stopped in her tracks. Time seemed to do the same. Everything was frozen in place.

Then, suddenly, Chat Noir dropped to all fours, coughing up blood. The other passengers gasped loudly and pulled back when they saw the thick red liquid that dropped from his lips.

Ladybug let out a horrifying scream. Her yoyo clattered to the floor. She ran to him, violently pushing people out of the way. Her heart was beating dangerously fast, a bile rising in her throat. Her worst nightmare was playing right before her eyes.

“I told you not to interfere”, the officer rasped through gritted teeth.

After that it was chaos, madness.

“You _shot_ him!” Ladybug heard someone scream in disbelief. “You shot _Chat Noir_!”

The officer tried to fight back, but it was no use. Tens of hands grabbed him and tossed him overboard.

“No, stop!” Ladybug cried, but it was too late. She heard a loud _splash_ and knew that there was nothing she could do anymore. (And if she was completely honest, her heart didn't really care whether the officer who dared to hurt Chat lived or not.) Besides, right now there was nothing more important than her partner.

Carefully, she helped him sit up, her hands trembling madly. Chat let out a groan as the pain in his chest shot through his whole body. When she saw his wound that was bubbling with each respiration, she couldn't help but cover her mouth. In vain she tried to muffle her horrified gasp. It was a miracle he was still alive.

“Must be my Miraculous”, he said as if he had read her mind. “It's keeping me together.”

Ladybug's thoughts were scattered, her body shaking out of fear. She felt like she couldn't breathe properly. There was so much blood...

Hoping that it would stop the heavy bleeding, she hopelessly placed her hands hard on the wound, trying to help _somehow_. Her partner hissed immediately and squeezed his eyes shut. She could only imagine the pain he was in.

“Can you stand?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She was failing.

Hesitating, Chat bit his lower lip. Finally he nodded. She helped him up and all he could do was wince at the pain.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I've been shot.”

A pause.

Chat grinned weakly when Ladybug grimaced. She gave him an unamused look.

“Now is not the time for that.” She huffed in frustration. “Are you in pain?”

That was a stupid question. Of course he was in pain, she knew he was, but they had to keep moving.

“A little, but it's fine. I'm ok”, he replied, but you could never lie to yourself. They both knew he was far from fine.

Chat put his arm around her shoulders, leaning against her, and Ladybug tried to move as carefully as she could. She frowned in concentration, spinning her yoyo with her other hand, reading it to swing them somewhere safer. Sweat was running down her forehead. She wondered if there were any more lifeboats left.

She noticed that Chat smelled of sweat, too. He smelled of sweat and blood.

A feeling of helplessness and panic welled up in her. Hysteria gripped her. She hated being afraid, feeling so powerless. Chat needed help quickly, but there was nothing she could do.

Sadly, because he was hurt, they couldn't move fast enough and before they knew it the panic-stricken passengers were pushing them, desperately trying to reach the last lifeboat. A man shoved Chat roughly and a second later the superhero lost his balance and hit the floor. Patiently, Ladybug helped him up again. Chat barely stifled a yelp of pain when she threw her arms around his aching ribs, hugging him tightly because she didn't know what else to do to comfort him.

The ship creaked dangerously. Men jumped overboard to avoid the fate of the glorious Titanic, most likely falling to their deaths. Time was up.

 _Lucky Charm_ _!_ her mind screamed, the voice reminding her of Tikki. _Use Lucky Charm!_

It was their only hope.

Ladybug shouted and tossed her yoyo into the air. Down came a red pool mattress with black spots. Mouth parting, Ladybug stared at today's Lucky Charm in shock. The worst part was that the mattress was only meant for one person. Or two, at most.

Squinting, Chat studied the magical item. He didn't look as worried as she did, but there was disbelief in his eyes, too.

“What... what am I supposed to do with this?” Ladybug whispered, swallowing. “How in the world am I going to save everyone with _this_?”

She tried not to panic, telling herself that her Lucky Charm would fix the ship, fix everything. Only... it couldn't. That was impossible.

Frantically, Ladybug looked around, trying to plan out an escape. She tried, she really tried, but nothing came to her mind. Did this mean that Lucky Charm only worked when another Miraculous user was causing trouble?

Ladybug felt defeated, her eyes were growing misty. All hope was lost.

Shaking her head, she scolded herself harshly. Ladybug couldn't just start crying in the midst of crisis. Ladybug was brave and strong and so was Marinette. But she also knew that nothing could save this ship anymore.

She wiped the tiny tears from her cheeks before Chat could notice and threw the Lucky Charm into the water. She tightened her grip on his waist. Maybe the mattress could still save _their_ lives.

“Chat, we need to leave the ship”, she said and looked him straight in the eye with a serious look on her face.

The boy blinked, surprised by her words. Hesitantly, he looked at the cold water, disgust in his eyes. His nose wrinkled.

Ladybug's earrings let out a beep and she flinched slightly at the sound. It was the first warning.

Something exploded behind them. It sounded like the ship was ready to snap in half any minute now.

“We have to jump, Chat, _now_.”

Finally pulling himself together and ignoring his pain, Chat nodded.

And they jumped.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I don't know how many chapters this will have yet, but most likely not more than 3 or 4.  
> Feel free to point out spelling and grammatical errors since English is not my first language. I'd be really grateful :)  
> Feedback is always appreciated!


	2. Temporary hope

They landed under water at the exact same time as the Titanic’s lights went out and the ship broke in half, over a thousand people still aboard. Ladybug tightened her grip on Chat Noir and pressed him close to her chest as she dragged them both to the surface. They came up coughing and gasping for air. The water around them was so cold it seemed to burn their skin through the costumes. They could hear the cries of the people in the water, hear their heart-wrenching wailing. Ladybug wished she was deaf.

Fortunately, her Lucky Charm had landed near them, floating on the water. She knew she needed to get Chat on that pool mattress as soon as possible. Maybe Lucky Charm gave her that mattress so that she could save him, save them _both_.

She swam towards it as fast as she could while making sure she didn't let go of Chat. She helped him onto the small mattress first before pulling her own exhausted body up. She lay down beside him so that they were facing each other. Their legs were tangled, Ladybug’s arms protectively wrapped around Chat. For once she wanted to be his shield.

Her Miraculous beeped, but both superheroes ignored the sound. Ladybug could only focus on Chat’s shaky breath and quickened heartbeat. She could feel how he shivered when he buried his face in the crook of her neck. His breathing was forced and shallow.

Her heart fell.

This wasn’t fair. She was Ladybug, she fixed things, she... She couldn’t fix this, fix him. Her magic could only repair the damage done by Papillon’s butterflies. Her powers were useless, _Ladybug_ was useless.

Her Miraculous beeped again.

Chat Noir’s whole body ached. Breathing was painful, moving was painful, everything was so painful. Ignoring his horrible pain, he shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position. He blinked his eyes open only to find his face buried in Ladybug's chest. He blinked again, unable to believe what he was seeing. It was cold and he was wet and bleeding, but being this close to his lady almost made him think that it was all worth it. Maybe he was lucky after all.

Unfortunately, the closeness of his partner couldn’t magically get rid of his pain. Everything around them was ice cold, but his chest seemed to be on fire. It was like someone was pouring boiling water on him.

Chat squirmed involuntarily. A small sob escaped his lips. The pain was almost unbearable.

“Be still”, Ladybug told him, voice surprisingly flat and emotionless. “Just focus on breathing. Everything will be fine in the morning.”

Chat nodded weakly and turned to look at the sky. He could’ve really used a shooting star right about now.

The sky was black, the stars plentiful and luminous. He almost gasped in wonder. The twinkling mini suns had never looked so beautiful to him before.

Chat swallowed thickly.

The sun won't help him.

“What if... morning never comes?"

There was a pause as something precious shattered in Ladybug's chest. That must have been the saddest sentence she had ever heard in her whole life. She would have never thought that out of all people _Chat_ would be the one to say it. She never thought her partner would be the one to break her heart permanently.

Still, at the same time, she felt strangely numb, as if nothing that was happening was actually real. Nothing in her life was certain, she was Ladybug after all, it was part of the job description. But then there was Chat Noir. He was always there by her side no matter what. He shared her burden. Two halves of the same whole, Tikki had once said.

 _Temporary_. The word suddenly hit her hard. _Temporary_ , lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent. _Temporary_ made her eyes burn and the air in her lungs leave her body. _Temporary_ made her feel like her mind was choking on the heartbreaking word.

"Shhh...” was the only sound she could get out of her mouth, hoping that it was shooting enough to calm his rapidly beating heart. Gently, she rested her hand on his cold cheek, avoiding his mask. She wanted to comfort the boy underneath it, not the costume.

“I will never see the sunrise again”, Chat choked out.

“Shh, shh...” Ladybug hugged him tightly, _too_ tightly, because the moment she squeezed him he hissed in pain. She loosened her grip immediately, petting his soft hair. "Everything will be alright. Someone will come and rescue us.“

She winced at her own words.

Rescue them? Highly unlikely. They were the saviours. If the saviours couldn’t save each other, no one could.

Chat grimaced. He was thinking about the same thing.

"Aren’t we supposed to be the heroes, though?” he said her thoughts out loud. “The ones that save the day?"

Ladybug was too scared to answer.

Chat Noir was a dying hero. Heroes didn't die.

She petted his head again.

 _Heroes don't die, heroes don't die, heroes don't die_ , she told herself over and over again. Finally, her heart sighed in relief when she allowed her own words to sink in properly. They would both survive this, they would be okay.

Chat's quiet chuckle interrupted her thoughts. She met his eyes and he snickered again.

"You always act so tough but you're actually a real softie underneath, aren't you, my lady?” He flashed her a smile when she raised an eyebrow at him. “Ladybug is a big softie. A softie that kicks ass.”

She huffed at his words and waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever. I told you not to speak.“

"Let me speak now when I still can." He pouted.

"No, you –”

The last beep came from her earrings, cutting her off and warning them both that soon she would no longer be a hero. The thought scared her to the death.

“Close your eyes. Please, close them”, she pleaded and hugged him a little tighter again, careful not to hurt him.

Chat did as he was told. Pink light surrounded them, and he shut his eyes just before her transformation fell.

Tikki flew from the earrings, landing on top of Marinette's head, exhausted. The tiny kwami eyed the bloody scene before her, eyes slowly widening. Her gaze moved from her chosen to Chat Noir's chest. She gasped.

“Oh no”, Tikki squeaked, covering her mouth with her hands. Marinette's world shattered to pieces instantly. Her vision started to look alarmingly blurry. Was there really no hope at all?

Tikki stared at her worriedly, big eyes sad. Marinette took a deep breath, ignoring the ache in her heart.

“Chat Noir... meet Tikki.”

“Nice to meet you, I see you look great today.”

All he got for an answer was silence. Chat lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

“Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for”, he admitted, keeping his eyes closed. “I see I'm not as funny as I thought I was.”

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was exceptionally brave and strong but at that moment, all she wanted to do was burst into tears. She knew she couldn't. She had to stay strong for her partner.

_I see you look great today..._

Marinette searched her brain for a snarky comeback.

“Technically, you can't see anything right now”, was sadly the best she could come up with. To her surprise, her words actually earned a small, genuine grin from him. It warmed her chapped heart for a tiny moment.

Then he began to cough violently.

All she could do was wrap her arms around his head and run her fingers through his hair while he spattered dark blood on her pink dress. She wished she was still wearing her red suit so she wouldn’t know how much blood there really was.

It took Chat a minute to catch his breath. The fire in his chest burned with a sudden intensity. The coldness was starting to be insufferable.

“Ladybug”, he started, panic growing in his voice. “I can't feel my legs, Ladybug, I can't –!”

“Shhh.”

Chat forced himself to swallow the rest of the sentence, trying not to let the panic overwhelm him. Several heartbeats passed as he carefully considered what he should say next.

“I... I loved being Chat Noir”, he started again, voice faltering a little, “and it was an honour to be your partner –”

“Stop speaking in past tense”, the heroine snapped.

Chat took a very deep breath. “Ladybug, I won't make it. You know I won't.”

“Don't say that." There was a tremor in her voice that made him think she hovered on the brink of tears. The last thing he wanted was to make her cry, but...

Gently – uncertainly – he touched his ring. He caressed it for a minute, remembering the day he first met Plagg and became a superhero. Everything had been so new and exciting. He had felt like nothing could ever stop him. Yet here he was.

Right when he was about to take the ring off to free Plagg and make sure he was okay, Tikki's scream stopped him.

"No, don't do it!”

Both Marinette and Chat Noir turned their heads to her. Chat barely managed to keep his eyes closed, wanting to see the look on the kwami's face. If this was about revealing his identity... Well, let's just say that at this point, he really couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

“I can sense Plagg”, Tikki explained, sounding somewhat hesitant. “I can... hear him.”

There was a pause.

“And?” Marinette prompted, the nervousness apparent in her voice.

Knowning that her next words would crush her chosen's heart, Tikki sighed, avoiding eye contact with her. "He says that his powers are the only thing keeping you alive at the moment, Chat Noir. If you take the ring off, you will die immediately.”

Just like she had anticipated, Marinette let out a gasp, instantly clutching her partner's hand tightly. Chat's fake ears twitched, a lump forming in his throat. He tried to swallow it down, but his mouth was suddenly very dry. He coughed instead.

“Lucky that I, um, didn't have to use Cataclysm, right?” he managed, laughing awkwardly.

Marinette sighed heavily. She was shaking. "Chat, please, not now.“

He shut his mouth. The cold night air made his lungs ache anyway.

The three of them fell into silence, but that didn't mean it was quiet. The loud groans and cries of the dying echoed in the night. Marinette pursed her lips as her eyes watered. Chat consciously flattened his cat ears against his head to block out the noise.

Their job was to help and protect but they had failed horribly. They had not even been able to save the children. Remembering Manon's tearful face made Marinette want to scream at the top of her lungs. She was sure the guilt would never leave completely.

At that point, her hold on Chat's hand was almost painful. There was still one person left that Marinette knew she could save but she just didn't know how. She was becoming indescribably frustrated.

"None of this matters if I can't save you...” she whispered to him, blinking back tears. There had to be something she could do. They couldn't just wait, for goodness sake. They couldn't just wait for him to... die.

There was another silence. Chat had no idea what to say or what to do. What could he possibly say that would make her feel better? What could he possibly do in this state?

“At least I got injured heroically, right?” he tried.

“Chat.” The tone of her voice was a warning, telling him that he really should keep his mouth shut. He could clearly imagine the annoyed look she had on her face, the cute little wrinkle her nose gave. A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth.

"Hey, uh, Tikki, right?” he started again despite Ladybug's warning. He could almost feel her glare. “If Plagg's powers really are keeping me alive, then promise me you’ll free him if I... If his powers prove to be... not enough.”

“Hey, stop that”, Marinette hissed, but he ignored her.

Tikki shook her head in response even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “Plagg says that if it comes to that then he'll go down with you.”

“ _What_?” Chat exclaimed, shocked to hear this. He had always known that Plagg cared about him a lot, yes, the cat just didn’t know how to show it. But this? Sacrificing himself for nothing? Yeah, Chat wasn't exactly a fan of the idea.

“No, no way. Tell him I said no.”

Tikki smiled sadly. “Don't worry, he can hear you just fine. Plagg has just decided to be stubborn as usual. You can try, but I doubt he'll listen.”

“Plagg, no.” He meant to sound strict but failed miserably. His voice was shaky and upset and it sounded like someone had placed a knife at his throat. Chat pressed his lips into a thin line as tears threatened. He wanted to be saved, even if just for Plagg's sake, but they were stuck in the middle of the ocean with no way out.

Marinette's mind was running wild, too, and she got lost in her thoughts for a moment. The Miraculous could probably keep Chat alive until they got out of there and found a doctor. Maybe the Miraculous could even heal him completely, it just needed a little more time. As long as the wound didn't get infected, they had a chance.

She wanted to ask Tikki whether she was right or not, but she hesitated. She was afraid of the answer. She wanted to believe that she was right, she needed to believe that there was still hope left.

Marinette tilted her head back, hoping to see a shooting star. A shooting star could help Chat, grant her wish, get them out of there. The sky was full of stars but no matter how hard she stared, none of them moved.

Marinette almost yelped when Chat all of a sudden buried his head in the crook of her neck. His ice cold lips momentarily touched her skin, making her shiver. She knew that he was going to have a serious case of hypothermia if they were not rescued soon.

"I'll miss them”, he murmured quietly against her skin. “My friends, I mean. They are my family, my real family. They’re okay, they got out safely. I’m so grateful.”

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut. It hurt. The tone of his voice hurt her.

“They’re okay, Ladybug”, he repeated, but this time his words were filled with uncertainty. His voice cracked. “Aren’t they?”

Marinette could hear that he was worried sick, but she had no idea who he was talking about. She had no idea who his family were. There was a big chance she would be lying if she said they were safe. So many were dead because they had failed.

“They are my family, they have to be alright.” He sounded more and more desperate by the second. “Please...”

Marinette didn’t want to lie to him, not now. He had never lied to her and she had to be just as honest with him.

“They are going to be fine and so are you. You’re going to see them again and you will all be fine”, she heard herself say instead. Marinette cursed in her mind.

Chat let out a shaky breath, relieved. "Thank you...“

Her heart lurched painfully. She rested a hand on his forehead, a guilty look on her face. Chat sighed again, content, almost like he was melting into the touch, as if her hand could heal him.

Silence fell between them. Someone cried in the distance, begging for help. Marinette did her best to focus on the sound of Chat’s breathing, trying to ignore the fact that his lips really were that blue.

Chat was the one who opened his mouth first, breaking the silence.

"My... My friends are my real family, yes, and I’m thankful for everything they’ve done for me, but...” he paused, swallowing nervously. “I only really feel like myself when I’m with you. I can only truly breathe when we fight together.”

A burning pain flared in Marinette’s chest. It felt like he was saying goodbye and she wanted to tell him to stop. Stop, just _stop_ , stop breaking her heart. He had already split it in two and now he was going to rip the two parts into even smaller pieces. In the end the fragments of her heart would be scattered around the ocean and she would never get them back. Her heart would never be whole again.

But Chat wasn’t finished yet. He just kept going, making her body crumble with every word. Suddenly, she was the one who couldn’t breathe.

“I wanted my heart to beat as long as yours, no more, no less. My own father is a stranger to me, but _you..._ ” Marinette knew that he was tempted to open his eyes. “You are my home.”

His whole body was trembling but not with cold. For too long he had kept quiet, for too long he had tried to choke down his feelings because he knew she didn’t feel the same. But his feelings were finally leaking, _he_ was leaking because for all he knew, this could be his last chance to ever say it out loud. He wanted to say it, he _needed_ to hear himself actually say it.

So, he let his heart leak freely.

“I... I love you.”

After all his failed attempts to confess, it actually felt really good to get the words out of his mouth at last. He knew that his lady wasn’t as relieved to hear those three little words as he was, but he still wished he could see the look in her eyes.

Marinette’s expression could have been described as simply shocked. Her brows shot up, eyes widening at his declaration. Her mouth parted slowly.

 _Stop_ , she finally mouthed. Why was this boy so determined to rip her heart out of her chest? Why was it that even though he was the one who had been shot, her heart was the one bleeding?

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She considered his words for a moment.

Did she love him? Easy. Yes, she did, of course she did. In fact, Marinette was quite sure she loved Chat more than anyone else in the entire world. He was her partner, she trusted him with her life, she trusted him with everything. She loved him unconditionally.

But... it wasn’t the kind of love Chat wanted from her. It wasn’t romantic. Her heart already belonged to Adrien Agreste, and at that moment she realized that she was glad it did. She wouldn’t be able to handle the pain of possibly losing both her partner and her love.

There was a tightness in her throat when she finally replied with a sigh, “I know.”

Chat simply nodded. “I’m just happy that I got to tell you. I think you deserved to hear it.”

The sincerity in his words brought tears to her eyes and Marinette couldn’t keep the cry out of her voice anymore. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. Chat sobbed, too, as tiny tears dribbled down Marinette’s cheeks and onto his blood-stained hair. _Forever_ , he wanted to promise, but couldn’t.

Tikki said nothing, her expression growing sorrowful as she looked at the pair. She knew it was better to just let them be.

The superheroes held each other tightly, taking comfort in one another. Soon, as she petted his cheek softly, Marinette felt Chat relax into her touch. He looked like he was ready to fall asleep, ready to wake up tomorrow and bathe in the first rays of the sun. Marinette could practically hear the life draining from him.

“Chat, hey, don’t you dare give up yet”, she pleaded, voice barely more than a whisper. _I've known you for over five years now, you're the most important person in my life, I don't know how to live without you._

She knew he wouldn’t give up, not if she asked him to fight. Right now falling asleep was extremely dangerous.

“Focus on my voice.”

Quiet humming filled the air. It was a soft tune Marinette remembered her mother singing to her when she was little. A small smile spread across Chat’s lips. He looked so peaceful she almost felt bad for denying him the bliss dreams could offer. But the risk was too big, the risk that he would never open his eyes again.

Marinette stopped humming and shifted a little to move her tired legs. This time it was Chat who tightened his hold on her. His fake ears drooped.

"Please, don’t leave me”, he whispered. She could hear the desperation in his voice.

“Never”, she promised. Her voice was steady, there was no hesitation in her response. ”I’m here, partner.”

She wouldn’t leave, not without him. She was his lifeline and he was hers.

Tikki moved to hug her chosen’s neck. Marinette was grateful to have her little friend there, just like Chat had his kwami’s support.

Something pinched her stomach, hard. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how horrible his kwami must have felt.

Minutes went by. Marinette had no idea how long they’d been there. It felt like an eternity.

Chat tried to look brave, he tried to _be_ brave, but his pain threatened to bring tears to his eyes again. He felt a dreadful ache as if something was being torn inside him. His wound was still burning and his lungs were already struggling. He opened his mouth wide, trying to gasp for fresh air, but the air just wouldn’t go in.

Marinette held her breath as Chat tried to say something, his chest rising and falling unevenly. His speech was starting to become hard to understand, he was mumbling and murmuring words that made no sense to her. All Marinette could do was ask him to repeat his words. Little by little Chat was falling asleep.

Marinette was angry. Chat didn’t deserve this and neither did she. He didn’t deserve to suffer like this. She didn’t deserve to feel this crushing sadness.

Chat attempted a deep breath. To his surprise, breathing didn't hurt as much as he had expected. His head still felt heavy, but his mind was floating. He was weightless.

“I think...” he started softly, smiling a little. “I think I feel better now.”

“You do?” Hope immediately raced through Marinette. "You think you can make it? You’ll be ok?“

He smiled at her weakly, but it was a smile nonetheless. Automatically, she showed him a warm smile in return.

"Yeah”, he breathed. “I’m fine.”

He was ice cold. Marinette pressed his body tighter against hers, knowing that it wasn’t much help since she was freezing as well.

But Chat was _smiling_. He was smiling and talking and he was alive, and Marinette knew that it would be alright. She was an optimistic person, she decided to trust the hope that was blooming inside her.

Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief, hope was an ugly thing. It existed only to be crushed.

“I just... wish...” His voice was breathy and fragile again. “I could see... you...”

Marinette bit her lower lip. The tiny smile that he still pulled at his face suddenly made her feel guilty, almost sick. It made her want to cry, but she knew she couldn’t. Chat was counting on Ladybug and if there was one thing everyone knew about Ladybug it was that she was strong, so strong, both physically and emotionally.

Then again, she wasn’t Ladybug at the moment. She was Marinette, just Marinette. Ladybug inside her began to scream helplessly, telling her not to say the words that were currently burning her tongue. Marinette decided not to listen.

“You can open your eyes”, she told him. Her whole body was shaking with fear, but she truly wanted him to look at her, even if she had to give up her identity. She could use some of that strength his eyes usually gave her, and if seeing her gave him strength, too, then she simply couldn’t say no.

Chat’s eyes stayed closed. Apparently he was still hesitating.

“Go ahead, open them”, she said again. “It’s okay.”

If she had paid more attention she would have noticed how he wasn’t breathing anymore. If she had listened carefully she would have heard how his heart was just as quiet as death usually was.

It was Tikki who noticed first. “Marinette...”

Marinette shushed the kwami and patiently waited to see green. Desperation crept through her when her kitty showed no signs of life. Something was terribly wrong.

Tikki settled on her fingers that were holding Chat Noir’s hand. The tiny kwami hugged her index finger.

"Marinette, I’m sorry.”

Then it hit her.

Chat would not open his eyes.

Finally she noticed the small details. His slow breath no longer tickled her neck. His heart had calmed down, just like she had hoped it would. She wanted to take that wish back so badly. She wanted to feel his heart beat in his chest so loud, so _alive_.

She had done this, Marinette realized a moment later. She had asked him to close his eyes and keep them closed in order to protect her identity. She had successfully kept Marinette and Ladybug separated from her partner, but what good did it do now? If she had known this would happen, she would have spent her last moments with him staring into his bright green eyes.

Marinette had never seen eyes so beautiful. Not even Adrien Agreste’s eyes were as lovely as Chat’s (as impossible as that sounded). The green of his eyes was intensely vibrant yet gentle at the same time. His green brought hope. Whenever she looked into her partner’s eyes, Marinette knew that everything was going to work out fine. His eyes always made her feel safe.

She would never see his green again. Nothing would be alright.

What the hell had she been thinking? Her partner had been wounded fatally, but she had just told him to close his eyes. She had forced him to live his last minutes in darkness. He must have been so scared.

Sorrow, anger and desperation all solidified into an ache unlike anything Marinette had ever experienced. She was still as a statue as the magnitude of her loss swept over her, snapping her soul in two. Her heart was full of tears.

Maybe that was what happened when you lost your soulmate.

Suddenly, Marinette was desperately gasping for air. Her grip on Chat’s messy hair tightened as she hopelessly tried to fill her lungs. Most of his hair had been ruined by the thick blood.

His blood.

Oh god, she was covered in Chat’s, her _other half's_ blood.

Eyes widening, Marinette pulled away from his body as much as she could without falling off the floating mattress. She couldn’t breathe, _she couldn't breathe_.

"No, no, no”, Marinette choked out. She could feel how her mind slowly crept closer and closer to panic. She wanted to scream.

"Nononono, please, Chat Noir, talk to me.”

She hated red, she hated it, _she hated it_. She hated the colour more than anything else in the world. She never wanted to transform into Ladybug again.

Taking a deep breath, Marinette took his face gently in her hands. There was no way this was actually happening. The world had lost its damn mind if it thought she should exist without him.

“Open your eyes, Chat”, she told him quite sharply. "Look at me. This is what you’ve always wanted. Right, kitty? To know my identity.“

He didn’t open his eyes.

Marinette could feel Tikki’s sad eyes on her but she didn’t have time for her kwami, she was too busy caressing Chat’s cheek. It was a caress he could no longer feel.

"Goddamnit, look at me!” She shook him lightly as warm tears rained down on his mask.

“Marinette...”

Marinette pretended that she heard nothing and held out her fist to him. Her hand was trembling, but there was a tiny, hopeful smile on her lips.

She expected him to bump back.

He didn’t.

The panic inside her spiked. Her world was collapsing and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her partner was gone.

She cupped Chat’s face again and pressed her forehead against his, crying loudly. It felt like her whole body was falling apart. Now she just had to wait for her turn, maybe it wouldn't take long.

Sobbing bitterly, Marinette realized that her fate was to freeze to death with her partner's cold body. She would much rather have drowned together with him.

Tikki watched as her chosen ran her fingers aggressively through the boy’s hair again and again. Hesitating her next words, she cleared her throat.

"Marinette”, she started slowly and as gently as she could. “We need to –”

“No.”

Tikki let out a little sigh. "I am very sad to tell you, but this is not the first time something like this has happened. The ring will be found one day, it always reappears eventually. You heard what Chat Noir and Plagg said. It’s not our job to keep the Miraculous safe. You need to let him go.“

" _No_.” Marinette couldn’t believe her ears. How could Tikki say something like that, something so heartless? No. No way. She had to take him back home to Paris, back to his friends, family. She had promised him she wouldn’t leave him.

But, she realized a moment later, there was one problem. In order to do all that she would have to take off his ring. She would finally get to meet the boy behind the mask – but his soul would no longer be in his body. The moment would not be happy or magical like she had always imagined, it would be just like Chat right now; cold, empty and lifeless.

Marinette swallowed. Plus, she would have to reveal his identity without his consent. And when they got home, she would have to explain to his family how this happened and why Ladybug out of all people was bringing his body home. If there was one person who understood how important secret identities were, it was Marinette herself. It wasn’t a coincidence that even after 5 years they still didn’t know each other’s real names.

Maybe Tikki was right. Maybe she should honour Chat’s kwami’s wish. Biting the inside of her cheek, she wished she could ask Chat what he thought of all this.

"Marinette, I’m really sorry, but we need to start working on a plan”, Tikki interrupted her thoughts, the tone of her voice apologetic. “How are we going to get out of here?”

Marinette closed her eyes, slowly breathing in, breathing out. She knew what she had to do even if it wasn’t easy.

She nodded to Tikki before kissing her partner’s forehead. The love she felt for her Chat Noir wasn’t romantic, it was far more than that. And she wanted to protect his identity.

Heart screaming, Marinette watched how his body sank below the surface of the waves. It was almost impossible for her not to go after him. It worked like a natural reflex; if Chat was in danger, she had to save him; if she was in danger, he risked his life to help her. Only this time she couldn’t follow him.

“See you again, Plagg”, Tikki whispered her last words to the black cat. The words made Marinette see red, more red than she was already seeing.

It was wrong. It wasn’t fair. Tikki could promise her friend that she would see him again while Marinette knew that she wouldn't ever see _her_ Chat Noir again. In the end, she never got to know him, not really. Now she wanted to know everything.

What was Chat’s favourite flower? Did he prefer coffee or tea? What kind of every day things made him happy? After five years of partnership she had no idea.

It was shattering to realize that Chat was just an ordinary person underneath the mask. He had a name, dreams of future, friends he called his family. Now her Chat Noir, a nameless boy, was lying on the ocean floor in eternal slumber.

Chat would have told her his name in a heartbeat if she had asked, Marinette knew that. His real name always seemed to be on the tip of his tongue whenever he saw her. He had wanted to tell her so badly. And Marinette agreed, 'Chat Noir’ was supposed to be a temporary name only. _Temporary_.

Maybe his name was something traditional and boring like Jean or Pierre. The thought of calling her kitty Pierre made Marinette grimace. It couldn’t be.

Maybe he had a pretty name like Hugo or Louis? She would never know. For all she knew he could’ve been called Felix – or literally any other name in the world.

Marinette clenched her eyes shut. In order to numb her pain she tried to imagine the comfort of Alya’s tight hugs. She tried to remember the warm feeling she got whenever she heard Adrien’s genuine laugh. She tried to recall the sweet scent of her parents’ bakery, but all that proved to be too hard since her heart had been ripped right out of her chest. She felt like she was choking. The only thing that kept her mind together was the thought of seeing her loved ones again. Mum, dad, Alya, Nino, Adrien... Heck, she would have even been thrilled to see Chloé.

Her parents were home, they were safe and sound, Marinette was 100% sure of that. All three of her friends had been allowed into a lifeboat. They were probably freezing right now just like she was, but they were alive and that was what mattered the most. They would see each other again.

Marinette let her thoughts wander to the day before, trying to picture the moment as clearly as possible. She could see it; the fancy room, the white piano, the elegant black suit Adrien was wearing. They were on the dance floor, only inches between them, bubbly laughter filling their ears. They were happy, filled with the joy of living.

She had never heard Adrien laugh like that, his voice had never reached that level of hilarity before. And in the darkness of the night, as Tikki patted her head, she tried to cling onto the memory of Adrien’s voice; soft and joyful.

After their dance Marinette was quite sure that she had heard him call her ‘princess’. She remembered vividly how she had blushed madly and tried her best to hide her red face from her friends. Marinette felt a little embarrassed to admit it, but 'princess’ was actually a nickname she kind of liked.

Chat’s pale blue face flashed through her mind like lightning.

Marinette’s eyes snapped open.

Chat had called her princess twice when he had first met her civilian self. Chat had called himself her knight. Chat, who was now...

Marinette swallowed thickly. She had never hated anyone as much as she hated herself at that moment.

She had let the black ocean take him. She had let the ocean take her partner and _keep_ him.

“Tikki...” she sobbed, unable to get past the kwami’s name.

“I know, Marinette”, her little friend replied and hugged her cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

Tikki’s gentle tone did nothing to soothe her as she felt the beginnings of a headache creep along the base of her neck. Her eyelids were swollen, her eyes probably bloodshot. Every muscle in her body was sore. The ache within her deepened.

There were so many things she still wanted to do and try, so many things she wanted to tell her loved ones. She wanted to thank her parents for everything. She wanted to tell Alya how much she meant to her and how much she appreciated her. She wanted to tell Nino that she was happy he was her friend. She needed to tell Adrien how she really felt, she wouldn’t wait anymore.

Suddenly, she heard distant shouting. The noise grew louder and louder and it was almost like someone was... yelling her name? The voice sounded a lot like Alya so maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her.

“Marinette! Where are you? Answer me, please!”

It was Alya.

Marinette sat up, panic slowly flying through her. She and Tikki glanced at each other.

What was Alya still doing there? Was she in the water? Was she in danger? Was she drowning, dying?

"Alya?” Marinette called weakly. Tears had drained her of energy, but her voice still contained a hint of the panic she felt. “Alya!”

Then she lowered her gaze and –

A loud gasp escaped her lips when she saw the countless floating dead bodies around her. All the colour left her face. She covered her mouth with her hand. Those bodies were there because of her, because she wasn't capable of protecting  _anyone._

“Marinette?”

A boat approached them, returning to the site of the wreck, trying to rescue people from the freezing water. Tikki hid in Marinette’s purse before anyone could see her.

“Here, I’m here!” Marinette cried, waving both of her hands.

And suddenly there she was; her best friend, her rescuer, a real angel. Marinette wiped the tears from her cheeks before smiling. She had never been this relieved to see Alya even though the other girl look troubled. Her eyebrows were knitted together, hair a mess, worry clear on her face.

Alya and two others quickly helped her into the lifeboat, and Marinette held her pink purse close to her chest. Once she was safe, she was surprised to find that her best friend was furious, absolutely livid. Now that she was closer she saw that her face was bright red, eyes narrowed as she glared at her. It was almost like she was ready to murder someone, murder _her_.

“You idiot!” Alya yelled at her, making her wince. “You scared me to death! Do you have any idea how much I hate you right now?”

Then, without warning, she pulled her into a rib crushing hug. Marinette couldn’t help but burst into tears. She was an exhausted disaster, overwhelmed with sorrow.

"It’s okay, you’re safe now”, Alya whispered into her ear as she petted her head. “I knew I would find you.”

“Hey, Alya?” Marinette whispered back, barely holding back the rest of her tears as she spoke.

“Yeah?”

She took a moment to swallow. Now was the time. Now was her chance to say all those things she had never told her friends before.

“You’re my best friend and I love you, you know that right?” she managed to get out until she was sobbing again. “I just wanted to say thank you. For coming back for me. For everything, really. I’m so lucky to have you.”

Alya started to shake violently, and Marinette knew that she was crying, too. Despite their tears, they both smiled.

Marinette pulled away from the tight hug first and wiped the tears off her cheeks. Then she looked around, searching for Adrien and Nino. At first, she couldn’t see either of them, just mothers and their young children. Then she spotted the musician, who had evidently lost his signature hat.

Nino was staring straight ahead, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. He seemed smaller somehow, kind of like he had shrunk in the last three hours or so. The sad part was that at the same time, he looked like he had aged at least ten years. He was almost unrecognizable.

“Hey, uh, Nino?” Marinette started, hesitating a little.

The boy paid absolutely no attention to her as he adjusted his glasses. His mind was clearly somewhere else, but she never gave up easily.

“I’m glad I got to know you, Nino. I truly value our friendship.”

Nino didn’t turn to look at her, just stared at the black waves. Then, like a robot, he nodded slowly. She noticed that there were tear tracks on his face.

Marinette swallowed a lump in her throat. She had never seen Nino’s eyes so empty, so lifeless. She doubted he even knew what she had said.

The ache deep within her started again.

This was supposed to be a fun vacation. How did they end up here?

Marinette wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Her teeth clattered alarmingly together and she wondered if she could even move her toes anymore. She smiled gratefully when Alya offered her a coat.

“Um...” she mumbled after a while as she looked at all the unfamiliar faces in the lifeboat, trying to find a glimmer of gold and green. “Where’s Adrien?”

Her best friend looked away immediately, shoulders slumping. Alya kept her mouth shut, and Marinette’s heart jumped to her throat instantly. She hugged her purse tighter, hoping that Tikki didn’t get squashed.

Choking down fear, she asked again, more sternly this time, “Alya, where is Adrien?”

Nino buried his face in his hands and suddenly started bawling his eyes out. Marinette flinched visibly. Her nervousness grew.

“Oh, stop worrying you two!” Alya reassured her friends and patted Marinette’s back. “They launched this boat before Adrien could get in. He was directed to the next lifeboat. I’m sure he’s fine.”

“But...” Marinette hesitated for a moment, swallowing again. “You don’t know where he is?”

Alya shook her head. Nino cried harder, causing one of the babies to start crying, too.

Emptiness washed over Marinette, her mind went blank. She blinked a few times before scolding herself. Alya was right, there was still hope left. She was probably just overreacting.

_Chat._

Her hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white. She closed her eyes, shaking her head violently. Adrien was alright, she told herself strictly.

Death only left little cracks in your heart, holes in your future and worst of all, in your soul. There was no way she was going to lose another loved one tonight.

Alya held her arms open wide with a sad smile on her face and Marinette gladly accepted the comfort. Unfortunately, Alya was just as cold as she was, but at least the girl was soft and familiar. Everything else was a mess, though. Marinette herself was a mess, a big, pathetic mess. All she could do was pray that Adrien, wherever he was, was okay.

 _The moment I see him I'll tell him_ , she decided. _I'll tell him I love him._

The thought of seeing Adrien made her feel like there was a future, something to look forward to. She promised herself she would not chicken out this time, she had to be just as brave as her partner had been.

Leaning against her best friend, Marinette sighed sadly, trying not to let her thoughts wander to her other best friend. She needed a break from all the pain and heartache.

The cold wind tossed her hair. Nino and the baby had stopped crying. It was almost quiet.

Marinette was bone-tired. Her eyelids were so heavy that she just couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. All she wanted to do was rest. Tomorrow would surely be better.

 _I'll tell him, you'll see_ , she told herself right before sleep embraced her. _Yeah, tomorrow..._

 

 _If morning never comes to be,_ _let's meet again one of these nights._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((I will write an epilogue later, but for now the story is finished))
> 
> Please, let me know what you thought!! :)


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